Preparing for the 2021 Census (England and Wales)
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BRIEFING PAPER Number 8531, 22 October 2020 Preparing for the 2021 By Cassie Barton census (England and Wales) Contents: 1. Background to the census 2. Legislative process 3. Content of the 2021 census 4. How the 2021 census will work 5. Data processing and outputs www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library | [email protected] | @commonslibrary 2 Preparing for the 2021 census (England and Wales) Contents Summary 4 What will the census ask about? 4 An online census 4 Covid-19 and the census 5 Census legislation 5 Outputs and analysis 5 1. Background to the census 6 1.1 History of the census in the UK 6 1.2 Why do a census? 7 1.3 Who is responsible for the census? 7 1.4 Decision to go ahead with a 2021 census 7 1.5 Plans for the 2021 census 9 2. Legislative process 10 2.1 Primary and secondary legislation 10 The Census Act 1920 10 The Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Act 2019 11 The Census Order 11 The Census Regulations 11 2.2 The census in Scotland and Northern Ireland 12 2.3 EU legislation 13 3. Content of the 2021 census 14 3.1 Choosing census topics 14 3.2 New questions 16 Gender identity 17 Sexual orientation 19 Past service in the UK Armed Forces 21 3.3 Repeating questions 22 Ethnic group 22 Marital and civil partnership status 26 National identity 26 Unpaid care 26 Long-term health and disability 27 Qualifications 27 Economic activity 27 3.4 Discontinued questions 27 Number of rooms 27 4. How the 2021 census will work 28 4.1 An online census 28 4.2 Population covered by the census 28 4.3 Covid-19 and the census 29 4.4 Operation of the census 30 Staffing 30 Identifying and contacting respondents 30 Coverage and non-response 31 Census rehearsal 32 4.5 Engagement and support 32 4.6 Costs 35 3 Commons Library Briefing, 22 October 2020 5. Data processing and outputs 36 5.1 Data processing, analysis and security 36 Processing census data 36 Data security 36 Linking to administrative sources 36 5.2 Dissemination 37 Appendix 1: History of census topics 38 Cover page image copyright ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO [cropped] 4 Preparing for the 2021 census (England and Wales) Summary A population census takes place in the UK every ten years. The next census in England and Wales will take place on 21st March 2021, and will be administered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The census seeks to collect demographic information from all households and communal establishments. The 2021 census will be the first to be carried out primarily online. Census data provides a level of detail that isn’t possible from other government surveys – information is available about small population groups, and for small geographic areas. Census data contributes to policy decisions, including local government funding allocations, and provides a benchmark for other official statistics. What will the census ask about? The census collects a wide range of demographic information about topics like age, sex, marital status, health, education and housing. There will be three new questions in the 2021 census, covering: • Veteran status: whether the respondent has ever served in the UK Armed Forces. • Sexual orientation: whether the respondent identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, or some other sexual orientation. This question will be voluntary and only asked of respondents aged 16 and over. • Gender identity: whether the respondent’s gender is different from the sex they were registered as at birth. This question will also be voluntary and limited to respondents aged 16 and over. Almost all of the topics asked about in 2011 will appear again in 2021, although the way in which some questions are asked will change. The ethnic group question will include a new tick-box for people of Roma ethnicity, alongside the existing ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ tick-box. An online census The 2021 census will be the first time that the census is conducted primarily online. The ONS’ target is to have 75% of census returns completed online, with the remainder completed on traditional paper forms. Most households will receive a unique code in the post which will allow them to complete their census returns online. The ONS will put provisions in place to support households that may have difficulty accessing an online census. Households in some areas will receive a paper form to start with, and any household will be able to receive a paper form on request. The ONS also plans to provide in- person support sessions in some locations (e.g. in public libraries). 5 Commons Library Briefing, 22 October 2020 Covid-19 and the census The Covid-19 outbreak poses operational challenges for preparing and carrying out a census. The Scottish Government announced in July 2020 that it would delay Scotland’s census until March 2022 for this reason. A census will still take place in March 2021 in England and Wales, as it will in Northern Ireland. The ONS has published an operational planning response that sets out how it plans to address the impact of the pandemic on its census operations. For example, it plans to shift more of its community engagement activity online. Census legislation All of the necessary legislation for a census to take place in England and Wales has now come into force. The Census Act 1920 is the current statutory authority for a census to be taken in England and Wales. Secondary legislation must also be passed for a census to take place. A Census Order specifies the topics asked about, and Census Regulations set out operational details. These pieces of secondary legislation have now become law. In October 2019, the government passed the Census (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Act 2019 which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of topics which the census can ask about, and to ensure that there is no penalty for respondents who don’t answer these questions. Census legislation is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and separate censuses are administered by their respective governments. There is agreement between the statistical offices of the UK nations that census statistics should be harmonised where possible. Outputs and analysis The ONS has said that it will make better use of administrative data to enhance the findings of the 2021 census. It plans to use administrative data on property size in place of a question about the number of rooms that respondents have in their home. The ONS aims to publish an initial set of census reports one year after census day, and to make all other outputs available within two years. It plans to develop a flexible online dissemination system that will let users select the specific data they require. Section 1 of this briefing gives background to the decision to carry out a census in 2021. Section 2 explains the legislative process behind the census. Sections 3 and 4 explain the proposed content and implementation of the census, respectively. Section 5 discusses the proposals for data processing and census outputs. 6 Preparing for the 2021 census (England and Wales) 1. Background to the census 1.1 History of the census in the UK Great Britain’s first attempt to measure its population through a census took place in 1801. The census was led by John Rickman, who had outlined the advantages of taking a census in an essay the year before. He argued that understanding the size of the population would allow the country to plan corn production and military conscription more effectively, and that a census would “generally encourage the social sciences to flourish”. The case for a census was taken up by several MPs, and a Census Bill passed quickly through Parliament. Rickman ended up overseeing every decennial census between 1801 and 1831.1 A census has taken place every ten years in Great Britain (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales) since 1801, with the exception of 1941, when the census was prevented by the Second World War. The census of 1841 is often described as the first modern census because it recorded key details including names and occupations, and was carried out systematically by enumerators. Decennial censuses were taken in Ireland between 1841 and 1911. The first Northern Ireland census was in 1926, followed by another in 1937, with censuses taking place every ten years from 1951. New topics have been added to the census over the years, while others have fallen away. Appendix 1 summarises how the content of the census has changed since 1841. It was possible to complete the England and Wales census online in 2011, but 2021 is the first year in which the census will be carried out primarily online. Census history: key dates 2 1801 The first census of Great Britain is carried out. 1841 For the first time the census requires individual households to complete forms and return them to enumerators. 1911 Suffragettes stage a boycott of the census; activist Emily Wilding Davison is found hiding in the Houses of Parliament on census night. 1920 The Census Act passes, allowing for a census to be taken every ten years without further primary legislation. 1941 The decennial census is missed for the first time due to the Second World War. 1961 A computer is used to process census results for the first time. 1966 An additional census is taken, requiring information from only a sample of the population (approximately 10%). 1991 The census asks about ethnic group for the first time.